The Afghanistan National Journalists Union said that based on a survey nearly 70 percent of media outlets have recently halted their activities due to economic challenges over the past two months

A member of the union, Sarwar Latifi, told a news conference on Sunday in Kabul that the survey showed that 67 percent of men and 33 percent of women are concerned that their jobs are in jeopardy.

“They (media) have listed economic challenges," he added.     

Women journalists who lost their jobs in the wake of political changes in Afghanistan urged the government to facilitate job opportunities for them.

“The media has a lot of problems. The journalists with lower salaries take the responsibility,” said journalist Binazir.  

This follows a report by Human Rights Watch that voiced severe concern over the media status in Afghanistan. Patricia Gossman, the associate Asian director for the organization said that despite the “Taliban’s promises to allow media that ‘respected Islamic values’ to function, the new rules are suffocating media freedom in the country." 

A number of employees of Khorshid, a national TV channel, held a protest on Sunday in front of the Khorshid compound, saying that they have not been paid for more than three months.  

Protestor Mirwais Stanikzai said: “It has been over three months since Khorshid TV paid us, there is no one to respond.”  

Asadullah Ikhlas, a protester, said: “We have worked we have struggled, our rights should be paid.”  

When the Taliban came to power, dozens of journalists fled Afghanistan to seek asylum in foreign countries.